798 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



that mildewed.&quot; Hardy vines that are kept well pruned and otherwise well cared for may 

 not require winter protection, except in the very extreme limits of Northern culture ; but 

 varieties that are somewhat tender for the latitude should, we think, be covered. 



Grapes ill Winter. AVithbut little care some varieties of grapes possessing good 

 keeping qiialities may be kept till midwinter, or even late in the spring. As it is such a 

 delicious and healthful fruit, the luxury of having it through the winter will well repay the 

 trouble of properly storing it for this purpose. The Catawba, Diana, Isabella, Wilder, 

 Vergennes, lona. Clinton, etc. such grapes as have a thick skin and are rich in quality 

 are the best for this purpose. Pick the fruit when perfectly ripe and dry, and place the 

 bunches in a cool room for two or three days, where they will not be shriveled by the air 

 being too dry, or moistened by its being too damp. Handle very carefully, always taking 

 the bunches by the stems, and remove all bruised or loosened berries from each bunch, since 

 such will soon decay and have a tendency to make the sound fruit decay also. Then place 

 the bunches carefully between layers of wheat chaff, or maple or basswood sawdust that has 

 bean thoroughly dried, and put in a cold place. Sometimes rye straw or fine, soft hay, cut 

 with a machine into one-half inch lengths, is used instead for layers. Cotton batting or soft 

 paper is also frequently placed between the layers. The bunches should never be packed but 

 three or four layers deep, as the fruit in the lower ones would otherwise be liable to be 

 crushed by the weight of those above. Cover the top layers of fruit well, to exclude the air 

 as much as possible. A fruit room cooled with ice is of course the best place to keep such 

 fruit, but where this cannot be had the boxes or crates containing it may be placed upon the 

 ice in the ice house, and covered with heavy blankets or a deep layer of dry sawdust. Care 

 must be exercised that the fruit is not stored in such a way as to gather dampness, as it will 

 then be liable to mould. Another plan is to pack the bunches in small paper boxes, or in 

 shallow drawers in a cold room, where the fruit will not freeze, but be kept uniformly cold. 

 Cellars are generally too damp for this purpose, but when sufficiently dry and cool they are 

 excellent for storing grapes. Bunches cut with a portion of the vine attached, the ends of 

 the vine sealed over with sealing or grafting wax, and placed in a cold, dry room, will keep 

 for a long time. By simply placing the grapes in a moderately dry, cool room of even 

 temperature, grapes can frequently be kept from four to eight weeks, according to the 

 temperature and variety. 



Diseases and Insects. The mildew and rot are diseases with which the grape 

 growers of this country have- most to contend, while the principal insect enemies are the large 

 yellow vine beetle and the grape-vine flea beetle, which are very destructive to the foliage 

 and buds. For description and remedies see special department on this subject. 



Wine Making. Wine is most commonly made from the juice of the grape, although 

 it may be made from the juice of any other fruit, such as blackberries, raspberries, currants, 

 strawberries, etc. The following directions for making domestic wines from grapes will be 

 found reliable and explicit. The amount of sugar may be varied according to the natural 

 sweetness of the grapes; the amount herein indicated applies to such varieties as the Catawba 

 and Isabella. Care should be used to have the grapes for wine perfectly ripe, for if not its 

 quality will be greatly deteriorated. 



Select perfectly ripe bunches, and then carefully pick off the stems and remove all 

 grapes which are not quite ripe; the stems will injure the flavor. Squeeze the juice out, 

 either by hand or press, strain through a hair sieve, and pour it at once into a clean, sweet 

 barrel or keg, adding to the vessel two gallons of water for every gallon of juice made. At 

 the same time put in four pounds of sifted sugar per gallon of juice. In adding the two 

 gallons of water, let it strain through the pulp, skins, etc., of the residuum of the grapes, 

 after being squeezed. 



